GA/AB/3257

19981106Candidates Also Recommended for Committee on Contributions, Board of Auditors, Investments Committee, Administrative Tribunal and ICSC

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning recommended 24 candidates to the General Assembly to fill vacancies in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), the Committee on Contributions, the Board of Auditors, the Investments Committee, the United Nations Administrative Tribunal and the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).

For the most part, the candidates were recommended for three-year terms of office beginning on 1 January 1999. The Auditors take office on 1 July 1999, while members of the ICSC serve for four-year terms.

For the Committee on Contributions, the Fifth Committee recommended, by acclamation, Paul Ekorong A. Dong (Cameroon), Henry Hanson-Hall (Ghana), Pieter Johannes Bierma (Netherlands) and the re-election of Neil Hewitt Francis (Australia). It also agreed to the proposal of the Latin American and Caribbean States that three persons would share two seats available to that group, recommending Sergio Chaparro Ruiz (Chile), Bernardo Greiver (Uruguay) and Eduardo Iglesias (Argentina).

Turning next to the Board of Auditors, the Fifth Committee recommended the Chairman of the Commission of Audit of the Philippines to fill a vacancy on that body, after a secret ballot.

After a secret ballot for the Administrative Tribunal, the Committee recommended Kevin Haugh (Ireland) and Deborah Taylor Ashford (United States).

Then, for the ICSC, it recommended, by acclamation, re-election of Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia), Turkia Daddah (Mauritania), Carlos S. Vegega (Argentina) and Wolfgang Stockl (Germany) and the election of Eugeniusz Wyzner (Poland). It recommended that Mr. Hadj Amor be reappointed as ICSC Chairman, and Mr. Vegega as Vice-Chairman.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today, to continue its discussion of the United Nations pension system and the Organization's common system.

Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to make recommendations on appointments to a number of subsidiary bodies, and on confirming others made by the Secretary-General. These bodies are: the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), the Committee on Contributions, the Board of Auditors, the Investments Committee and the United Nations Administrative Tribunal.

According to a note by the Secretary-General on the appointment of members of the ACABQ (document A/53/101), members of the ACABQ serve for a period of three calendar years, they retire by rotation and are eligible for reappointment. There are 16 members, including at least three financial experts of recognized standing, and they are appointed on the basis of broad geographical representation, personal qualifications and experience. No two may be nationals of the same State.

Of the present membership, the terms of six members -- Syed Akbaruddin (India), Pedro Paulo d'Escragnolle-Taunay (Brazil), Klaus Stein (Germany), Tang Guangting (China), Fumiaki Toya (Japan), and Giovanni Luigi Valenza (Italy) -- expire on 31 December 1998, so the General Assembly must fill the six resulting vacancies. The three-year terms of the people appointed will begin on 1 January 1999.

According to a note by the Secretary-General on the appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions (document A/53/102), the 18 members serve for a period corresponding to three calendar years, they retire by rotation and are eligible for reappointment. Members of the Committee on Contributions, no two of whom can be nationals of the same State, are selected on the basis of broad geographical representation, personal qualifications and experience.

Of the present members, the terms of office of six members -- Pieter Johannes Bierma (Netherlands), Sergio Chaparro Ruiz (Chile), Neil Hewitt Francis (Australia), Atilio Norberto Molteni (Argentina), Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Ghaouth (Mauritania), and Omar Sirry (Egypt) -- expire on 31 December 1998, so the General Assembly must fill the resulting six vacancies. Those appointed will commence their three-year terms on 1 January 1999.

A related note from the Secretary-General (document A/C.5/53/6) sets out the nominations to fill these vacancies. Those nominated by their respective governments are Pieter Johannes Bierma (Netherlands), Sergio Chaparro Ruiz (Chile), Paul Ekorong A Dong (Cameroon), Neil Hewitt Francis (Australia), Bernardo Greiver (Uruguay), Henry Hanson-Hall (Ghana), and Eduardo Iglesias (Argentina). The candidates' curricula vitae are included in this note.

According to a note by the Secretary-General on the appointment of a member of the Board of Auditors (document A/53/103), every year the General Assembly appoints an Auditor at its regular session. The Auditor takes office from 1 July of the following year and serves for three years.

The term of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India expires on 30 June 1999, so it will be necessary for the General Assembly to make an appointment to fill the resulting vacancy by appointing the Auditor-General, or officer holding the equivalent title, of a Member State.

The three members of the Board have joint responsibility for the external audit for most of the United Nations system (including agencies and programmes). At the present time, audit assignments are shared among the audit staff provided from the audit services of the members of the Board on an equal basis. In order to fulfil those shared responsibilities, each member provides approximately 20 professional officers for approximately four months each year, in addition to the full-time Director.

To enable the Board to carry out its mandate, an Audit Operations Committee was established comprising three full-time Directors of External Audit at Headquarters, representing each member of the Board. The members of the Board are expected to be available for approximately two weeks each year, in June and November, for meetings of the Board and the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations, the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In addition, each member has to be available for necessary consultations with the members of the Administration, the ACABQ and other governing bodies.

A related note by the Secretary-General (document A/C.5/53/7) lists those nominated to fill the vacancy. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, the Auditor-General of Pakistan and the Chairman of the Commission of Audit of the Philippines have been nominated by their respective governments.

According to a note by the Secretary-General on confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee (document A/53/104), the Investments Committee consists of nine members appointed by the Secretary-General after consultation with the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board and the ACABQ, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly.

Of the present members, the terms of three -- Yves Oltramare (Switzerland), Emmanuel Noi Omaboe (Ghana) and Juergen Reimnitz

(Germany) -- expire on 31 December 1998 so the General Assembly must consider confirming the Secretary-General's appointments to fill these vacancies. The three-year term of the people so confirmed will begin on 1 January 1999.

In a related note, the Secretary-General (document A/C.5/53/8) submits the three members whose terms are expiring -- Mr. Oltramare (Switzerland), Mr. Omaboe (Ghana) and Mr. Reimnitz (Germany) -- for reappointment for three-year terms of office beginning on 1 January 1999. The note states that Mr. Oltramare has served on the Committee since 1974, Mr. Omaboe since 1980 and Mr. Reimnitz since 1975. According to the note, the Secretary-General proposes to appoint Frigyes Harshegyi (Hungary) and Helene Ploix (France) as ad hoc members for one year, beginning 1 January 1999. The curricula vitae of the appointees for confirmation and the ad hoc members are annexed to the note.

According to a note by the Secretary-General on the appointment of members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal (document A/53/105), members of the Administrative Tribunal serve for three years and may be reappointed. They retire by rotation and are eligible for reappointment. The Tribunal has seven members, no two of whom may be nationals of the same State. Only three sit in any particular case.

Of the present membership the terms of two -- Kevin Haugh (Ireland) and Deborah Taylor Ashford (United States) -- expire on 31 December 1998, so the General Assembly must fill the two resulting vacancies. The people so appointed will serve three year terms, beginning on 1 January 1999.

A related note by the Secretary-General (document A/C.5/53/9) lists those nominated by their respective governments to fill the vacancies: Kevin Haugh (Ireland), Anna M. J. Magezi (Uganda) and Deborah Taylor Ashford (United States). The candidates' curricula vitae are included in this note.

According to a note by the Secretary-General on the appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) (document A/53/106), there are fifteen members of the ICSC, appointed by the General Assembly, two of whom -- the Chairman and Vice-Chairman -- serve full-time.

Members, who are appointed in their personal capacity, should be people with recognized competence who have substantial experience, particularly in personnel management. No two can be nationals of the same State, and they are selected with due regard for equitable geographical distribution. After appropriate consultations with Member States, with heads of the other organizations and with staff representatives, the Secretary-General, as Chairman of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, compiles a list of candidates for appointment as Chairman, Vice-Chairman and members of the Commission. He consults with the ACABQ before the General Assembly considers the candidates. Members of the ICSC are appointed for four-year terms and may be reappointed.

Of the present members, the terms of five -- Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia), who is currently Chairman, Carlos S. Vegega (Argentina), currently Vice-Chairman, Turkia Daddah (Mauritania), Jaroslav Riha (Czech Republic) and Wolfgang Stockl (Germany) expire on 31 December 1998, so the General Assembly must fill the five resulting vacancies. The four-year terms of the people appointed will begin on 1 January 1999.

A related note by the Secretary-General (document A/C.5/53/10), reports that members to be appointed should come from the following regions; two members from the African States, one member from the Eastern European States, one member from the Latin American and Caribbean States, and one member from the Western European and Other States.

Member States have submitted the following candidatures:

-- from the Group of African States: Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia) and Turkia Daddah (Mauritania);

-- from the Group of Eastern European States: Eugeniusz Wyzner (Poland);

-- from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States: Carlos S. Vegega (Argentina);

-- from the Group of Western European and Other States: Wolfgang Stockl (Germany).

In accordance with the ISCS Statute and General Assembly resolution 43/226, the Secretary-General reports he has consulted with Member States, through the Chairmen of the various regional groups, with the executive heads of the other organizations, with staff representatives through the Federation of International Civil Servants' Associations (FICSA) and the Coordinating Committee for Independent Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA) and with the ACABQ.

Following consultations with Member States, he reports that Mr. Wyzner has been endorsed by the Group of Eastern European States, Mr Vegega has been endorsed by the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States and Mr Stockl has been endorsed by the Group of Western European and Other States. The curricula vitae of all candidates are annexed to the note.

In an addendum to this note (document A/C.5/53/10/Add.1) the Secretary-General reports that Tunisia has put forth Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia) for the position of Chairman of the International Civil Service Commission and Argentina has put forth Carlos S. Vegega (Argentina) for the position of Vice-Chairman.

MOVSES ABELAIAN (Armenia) Chairman of the Fifth Committee, said that since the number of candidates for appointment to the ACABQ from the Group of Latin American States corresponded with the number of vacancies available to that group, the Committee could recommend the election of the candidate by acclamation. Nazareth A. Incera (Costa Rica) was therefore recommended for election by acclamation.

In the case of the four candidates to fill three vacancies for the Group of Asian States, the candidates were Ahmad Kamal (Pakistan), Rajat Saha (India), Tang Guangting (China) and Fumiaka Toya (Japan). The election was conducted by secret ballot.

The Committee recommended Mr. Toya, Mr. Kamal and Mr. Saha for election to the ACABQ for three years beginning 1 January 1999.

In the case of the four candidates to fill two vacancies for the Group of Western European and Other states, the candidates were Susan Shearouse (United States), Klaus Stein (Germany), Nicholas Thorne (United Kingdom), Gian Luigi Valenza (Italy). The results of the ballot were as follows:

Number of votes cast: 177 Invalid votes: 4 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 0 Number of delegations voting: 173

The Committee thereby recommended Mr. Thorne, for election to the ACABQ for a term of three years beginning 1 January 1999.

The Committee then proceeded to a second ballot, between Mr. Stein (Germany) and Mr. Valenza (Italy), both of the Western European and Other States Group, to determine the recommended candidates to fill the remaining vacancy on the ACABQ.

Committee on Contributions

The Chairman read out the names of those who had been recommended for the Committee on Contributions. The Committee recommended by acclamation for three-year terms: Paul Ekorong A. Dong (Cameroon) and Henry Hanson-Hall (Ghana) for the African Group of States; and Pieter Johannes Bierma (Netherlands) and Neil Hewitt Francis (Australia) for the Group of Western European and Other States.

The Latin American and Caribbean States had nominated three candidates to share the two vacancies, the Chairman said. The Legal Office had said the three candidates could share the two positions, provided there was no objection from the Committee members.

By acclamation, the Fifth Committee then agreed with the arrangement proposed by the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, without prejudice to Rule 159 of the Assembly, which provides that members of the Contributions Committee are to be appointed for a term of three years corresponding to three calendar years.

The Committee thus recommended the following candidates: Sergio Chaparro Ruiz (Chile), to serve from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2000; Bernardo Greiver (Uruguay), 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2001; and Eduardo Iglesias (Argentina), 1 January to 31 December 1999 and 1 January to 31 December 2001.

Board of Auditors

The Chairman said the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, the Auditor-General of Pakistan and the Chairman of the Commission of Audit of the Philippines had been nominated by their respective governments to fill an

The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India: 26 The Auditor-General of Pakistan: 33 The Chairman of the Commission of Audit of the Philippines 117

The Committee recommended the Chairman of the Commission of Audit of the Philippines for election to the Board of Auditors.

Investments Committee

The three proposed appointments to fill the three impending vacancies on the Investments Committee were Mr. Oltramare (Switzerland), Mr. Omaboe (Ghana) and Mr. Reimnitz (Germany).

The Chairmen announced that since the number of candidates for appointment to the Investments Committee corresponded to its number of vacancies, the Committee accepted Mr. Oltramare, Mr. Omaboe and Mr. Reimnitz by acclamation.

United Nations Administrative Tribunal

Next, the Committee was to recommend two of three candidates for the United Nations Administrative Tribunal. The three candidates were: Kevin Haugh (Ireland), Anna M. J. Magezi (Uganda) and Deborah Taylor Ashford (United States).

The Fifth Committee recommended the appointment of Mr. Haugh and Ms. Taylor Ashford.

International Civil Service Commission (ICSC)

Turning then to the ICSC, the Committee recommended by acclamation, the appointment of the following persons: from the Group of African States, Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia) and Turkia Daddah (Mauritania); from the Eastern European States, Eugeniusz Wyzner (Poland); from the Latin American and Caribbean States, Carlos S. Vegega (Argentina); and from the Western European and Other States, Wolfgang Stockl (Germany).

It then decided to recommend Mr. Bel Hadj Amor for Chairman and Mr. Vegega for Vice-Chairman of the ICSC, acting by acclamation.

Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ)

The Chairman then announced the results of the second ballot, between Mr. Valenza (Italy) and Mr. Stein (Germany), for a recommendation to fill the one remaining vacancy on the ACABQ available to the Group of Western European and Other States. The election was conducted by secret ballot.